This Bitter Earth
by BlueBird Blues
Summary: Cassian Andor's first solo mission goes horribly awry. Seriously wounded, his face splayed across wanted signs all over the planet, he is forced into hiding. His protector, however, is far from pleased to have a novice rebel spy sheltering in her home. Cassian x OC. Set several years before the events of Rogue One.


Hello all! With the new series announced, my motivation was renewed for this fic I dreamed up after seeing Rogue One. I wanted to take a shot at writing the origin of Cassian and K2's friendship and of course (since I've had a crush on Diego since Havana Nights and since it's kinda my thing) I had to throw in an OC because there's never enough female characters for me.

A short bit of preface. This takes place very early on in Cassian's espionage career, I'm thinking about seven or so years before the events of Rogue One. So he's in his mid twenties I'd imagine, a little younger, a lot less experienced and a lot angrier. Thank you all for reading and I'd love to hear from you! Feedback is always insanely appreciated by me, your hapless writer.

* * *

**A Snag.**

Cassian Andor could always hear his mother's voice in times like these. Soft and sanctified, whispering words of comfort. They echoed through the deepest chambers of his mind, bouncing from wall to wall. **You will be safe. **Spoken in many languages. In her own. In his father's. In ancient breathings, letters and words pulled from the runes she studied. Unlike his father, she had always believed in the spiritual. In guiding forces that stretched across galaxies. She would pray often, folding her hands together and dipping her forehead to touch the ground. She would pray for peace. For their family. For the light to touch the darkest of hearts. His father would tolerate it, sometimes only barely. Cassian would watch them both in those moments. Eyes shifting back and forth. Trying to make sense of it all. The believer and the pragmatist. How had they found each other? Amidst the chaos; the riots and unrest of this never ending conflict. Two people from entirely different backgrounds. They spoke different languages. They wanted different things. Yet they found each other. And loved each other. Until the very end. **You will be safe. **His mother's last words to him. Well, he had every reason to believe they were. They were the ones he could remember more strongly than the others. Were they meant as a promise? As a last wish? They were separated so long ago. There was no way to know. **You will be safe. **He didn't know why he thought of her in moments like this. When everything had gone to shit. The force hadn't protected her. It wasn't protecting him. Then again, reason hadn't protected his father, either. What was there to believe in? They had both been lost to him despite their beliefs. Was it better perhaps...to believe in nothing at all. To take each day as if it were the last. Or to push on, hoping against hope that a better life lay ahead.

He had hardly stopped to breathe since joining the Rebel Alliance. Anxious to prove himself as an invaluable asset, he jumped at every opportunity General Draven offered him. No matter how dirty or bloody or tricky. He was there. A ready body, able and eager. After five years of persistent volunteering - to hell with the danger of the job in question - he had soon garnered a reputation of fierce loyalty and unfailing competence. And finally, after serving first as a soldier, second as a novice intelligence officer, he was being tasked with a mission of true importance. A solo mission; his own to enact in any way he chose.

Pasher was a small planet, one of many that made up the colonies linking the Inner Rim to the Core System. Long before the rise of the Empire, it was a bustling way-station between planets; tempting many a weary traveller to pause their voyage for a chance to feel stable ground beneath their feet. Upon its discovery centuries ago, immigrants from all across the galaxy came to pioneer the land. Merchants and their families soon settled into red rock valleys carved into the earth by salt rivers that wove spindly tracks from the North to the South. Over time, the planet became known to experienced tourists as a friendly, thriving market welcoming to all who chose to visit. A tribe of mech innovators were so taken with the planet, that they chose to call it home. A school was built, and eager minds would come to learn from master technicians before heading out to other planets and create shops of their own. It was a humble but nonetheless cosmopolitan planet, bustling with artisans of all kinds. But it was that glowing reputation that soon condemned Pasher to a swift demise. Many of the locals were vocal in their distaste of the Emperor and his dealings. As detractors fled Coruscant, the people of Pasher volunteered to shelter them. It was then that the Empire descended, choosing Pasher along with a handful of other similarly fractious planets to use as an example to all others. The mighty hand of the Empire made swift work of their detractors. Those in hiding were hunted down and executed along with their protectors. State leaders and influencers were forced to flee or declare their loyalty. Gone were marketplaces and festivals. Laboratories and factories soon took their place, harvesting local flora and fauna for whatever use could please the Empire. The planet itself, once lovingly tended to, fell into drought. Traders who had once frequented the planet blacklisted it. And, by the time the first of the raids were over, nearly half the planet's population had vanished. The planet had been stripped of all but it's natural resources, most now endangered. It was from these ashes that Cassian's target, Jonas Breda, created an empire of his own.

Cassian had committed every last detail of his briefing to memory and it was unlikely he would ever forget it. He remembered the way his chest had swelled with pride, almost to bursting, when Draven recounted to him the details of the mission. He remembered the temptation to catch the eye of Senator Mothma, although his respect and awe of her status wouldn't allow it. He remembered the chill in the air, the mist that seeped through the temple walls where the Rebels had only recently made base.

"The mission itself is simple." General Draven had told him. Simple in theory, yes. But in execution…that was another story.

"_We have reason to believe that Jonas Breda has been appointed as an Empire Intelligence officer. What we don't know is why. He holds court with the Emperor on Coruscant, but a small fraction of his work is done in secret on his home planet, Pasher. Whatever he has been doing, it's caught the emperor's attention. We would like to know exactly what he has been up to. We have a connection on planet. Dr. Rafi Hamal. He has served the Breda family for years and they trust him implicitly. The Breda family operates a compound in the heart of Ankara, the planet's most populous city. It is well secured, but Dr. Hamal can get you in and out freely under the cover of night. we cannot risk exposing his ties to The Alliance. He can extract the necessary files, but you will need to get them off planet without arousing suspicion. We think, Major Andor, that you have more than proven yourself worthy of this mission."_

Cassian accepted immediately. Upon the completion of his briefing he had loaded up a single pack of gear. He was given false documentation and a stolen ship, repurposed but stripped to only the barest of essentials. He left the rebel base alone, confident and ready to claim a higher spot in the rungs of the Alliance.

He could still feel the remnants of adrenaline in his veins upon first receiving the mission. At the time, he could practically taste his excitement. This was the chance he had been waiting for, the chance to make a _real_ difference and land a severe blow to the Empire.

Now all he could taste was blood. His own; filling every crack and crevice of his mouth.

_No one said it would be easy. _He thought bitingly, recalling General Draven's last words to him.

If it hadn't been for that damned security droid.

* * *

"Major...Major Andor!" Dr. Hamal called. "C-can you hear me?"

Cassian's consciousness teetered dangerously in and out of his grasp; he was far from certain that the voices he was hearing were real. **You will be safe. **His mother's sounded closer than ever. He swore he could smell the pine tar that always coated her hands. Red lights swirled before his eyes, their speed turning his stomach. Nevertheless, he tried to form a response only for the words to be lost in another blood-laced cough.

"Stay with me, kid." The doctor said between panicked, panting breaths. "I'll get you out of here."

The pressure in his chest was becoming too much to bear, but even now he knew...he had no choice but to take the blow. Neither he nor the doctor had expected the droid to react as it did. It's arm, several feet long with wiring encased in steel had swung down so quickly it could have easily landed a fatal blow to the doctor in it's sight. Instead, it met with Cassian's chest as he pushed the doctor to safety. The impact was followed almost instantly by a loud series of cracks. No doubt several of his ribs were shattered as a result. At least that's what it felt like. The second blow came just as quickly as the first, knocking him down the staircase they had only just ascended. He hit the ground hard, his body crumpling as pain radiated through him.

Somehow, by some miracle, the doctor had kept his word. Where they were now...well, Cassian had no idea. The shocking whir of the droids security call was far away. He couldn't feel or see the cool chrome floors that stretched throughout the compound. The moments he managed to stitch together were falling apart again. A dark, inky blackness threatened to overtake him. It grew stronger with each painful beat that racked through his body. He could feel the blood in his vein, pulse and pound with each intake of breath. He tried in vain to focus on his surroundings, but his vision was blurred by wetness. The pain in his chest had grown more fervent, monopolizing his attentions. It was sharp and left the rest of his body feeling numb and useless. His lungs seemed permanently constricted. As his consciousness faded in and out, he felt the pull of sleep grow stronger. He was starting to lose track of it all. The time of day, the hours that had passed since their failed infiltration. It was all too much to remember.

As he fought to breath, he could feel the doctors arm around his middle, trembling as he attempted to hold him up.

"_Please_, it was the only place-" That was the doctor's voice. His words were muffled but urgent.

"The _**only**_ place?! This should've been the _**last**_ place!" Another voice spat. A female voice, all fire and smoke. "You must be out of your mind."

"If your parents were here-"

"_**Don't.**_" The second voice came again. It was just as loud, but there was a quake to it. It faded out as another sharp echo of pain shot through his system, returning only when the stab had run its course. "-you're just going to have to go somewhere else."

Cassian felt another wave of blood bubble up in his throat. He tried to swallow it down but the thick, warm mass only lodged in deeper. His whole body doubled over as he retched.

"There's no time! Look at him." The doctor argued. "If I don't tend to him now, he'll die. The mission's already lost, I'm not going to lose him too."

_Lost_. His first mission lost.

It was too much to bare. As the metallic tang of blood flooded his mouth, his eyes rolled back into his skull.

Nothing but darkness remained.

* * *

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! I'm working on this piece and my other Star Wars piece simultaneously, so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up but hopefully soon. I would love to hear your thoughts, whatever they may be. Until next time...H.


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